Jargoiden - The Kaerling, #13

The companions have reached the shores of Jargoiden in pursuit of their abducted friends, but how do they even start tracking the kaerlings? "The relatively peaceful opening moves through a series of escalating peaks of tension, culminating in an intense and frightening conclusion. There's a great mix of characters who stand out from one another and even contrast  - eg. Tari's vulnerability versus Otta's fearlessness." W Thomas It falls to Lored, the taku-kevir, as the eldest of the companions to find the right road to travel. Not only is the scenery of Jargoiden foreign and alien to the travellers, the very inhabitants of the land seem intent on thwarting the companions' progress. When they're ambushed, Lored and Otta are taken prisoner, whilst Tari and Erl flee blindly into the forest. This Grim Dark Fantasy series can be read as individual books or as part of the chronological sequence.
If you're into Osten Ard, Game of Thrones, Middle Earth or Mythago Wood, you'll love this! Warning: contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence, rape and slavery, which some readers may find upsetting.